Filling-valve for syrupers



A. R. THOMPSON.

' FILLlNG VALVE FOR sYRuPERs.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6. 1920.

1,394,453. Patented ooms, 1921.

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IIII IIII A TTORNE YS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON, 0F SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON-BARN-GROVER MGF. CO., OF SAN J' OSE, CALIFORNIA7 A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

FILLING-VALVE FOR SYRUPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

T 0 all wko/m, it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT R. THOMPSON, acitizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county ofSanta Clara and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Filling- Valves for Syrupers, of which-thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of illing-valves for syrupingmachines in which an associated displacement body entering the can toprovide for the requisite volume ofl syrup therein, is fitted with meansfor varying said volume according to circumstances.

Illustrations of this type of filling-valve are found in my previousPatents No. 1,288,749, Dec. 21, 1918, and No. 1,855,018, 05551920.

My present invention consists in an improved means, associated with thedisplacement body, for varying the syrup volume, as will be hereinafterfully described.

The object of my invention is to avoid injury to the solid portion ofthe can contents.

Heretofore the adjustment of the displacement body to vary itspenetration into the can was effected either by a telescopic arrangementof the members of said body, as in the earlier of my patents abovementioned, or by a screw ring fitted to` the base of said body as in mylater patent referred to.

Experience has now demonstrated that these means being of relativelyhard material, in practice metal, and necessarily in close. relation totheinner surface of the can wall, are apt to press upon and cut into theouter edges of the solid contents of thecan, especially as said solidmaterial, rising into the cavity of the dish-shaped displacement body iscrowded down and its edges thereby forced outwardly against the sides ofthe can directly into the path of the rim of said body. Thisdisadvantage is especially noticeable in the canning of such tenderfruit as pears, but many other comestibles are also subject to thisinjury. By the use of my present improvement this difiiculty is fullyovercome.

l Referring to the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical sectionof my improved syrup filling valve.

Fig. 2 is a vertical diametrical section,

enlarged, of the cushion-ring of the displacement body, showing thepreferred taper form of its depending foot portion.

Fig. 3 is a similar section of the cushionring showing the straight formof said depending foot portion.

Fig. 4 is a section of the cushion-ring showing its foot portion of adifferent length from that of Figs. 2 and 3.

In Fig. l, I have necessarily shown, and shall herein briefly describeone form of filling-valve in which my invention is embodied; and I haveselected, for this purpose, the valve of my Patent 1,855,016, abovementioned; but it is to be understood that my invention is notconfinedto this form, as it is equally applicable to any filling valve withwhich is associated a displacement member or body entering the can andconforming somewhat closely to its cross sectional area.

In Fig. 1, the syrup tank is indicated by the numeral 1, into the bottomof which is screwed at 2, the outlet fittings 3, formed with a.circumferentially projecting base 4 having an inverted dish orbell-shape. The fitting 3 has interior radial web-s 5 joining a tubularextension 6 rising` from the base, and said base,`throughout the largerportion of its upper surface, is separated from the body of the fittingby a filling or supply space 7. In the remaining portion of said base isformed an air-eXit-duct 8, leading from the peripheral region of thebase into the tubular extension 6, in which said eX- tension is ittedtheair-vent pipe 9, which rises within the tank 1 and terminates above thelevel of the` syrup. in said tank.

10 is a valve-sleeve fitted to and adapted for vertical movement on thebody portion of the outlet fitting 3, a tight j ointbetween the twobeing supplied by an intervening rolling gasket 11. The valve sleeve 1()has a base flange 12, which carries a gasket-valve 13 wide enough toseat itself upon the peripheral valve-seat region 14 of the base- "shallnow describe.

member 4 of the outlet fitting and also upon the upper edge of a can 15be filled with syrup. j

16 is a ring bearing up under the tank 1, and 17 indicates one of threecircumferentially spaced springs between the ring 16 and the flange 12of the valve-sleeve 10, said springs normally holding the valve sleevedown with its gasket valve 13 seated upon the valve-seat 14, therebyclosing communication of the exterior with the lling space 7 and alsoclosing the air-eXit-duct 8.

18 indicates one of three equidistant limiting and assembling boltsslidably headed in the ring 16 and tapped into the flange 12.

20 is a table, with a foot-roller 21 traveling on a cam track 22. rlhistable illustrates the means for supporting' the can 15 and for elevatingit to its association with the valve.

The structure thus far described is the valve of my previous Patent1,355,016, and its operation may be briefly described as follows:

Assume the base 4 of the valve structure to have entered the can. Thesyrup from the tank fills the outlet fitting 3 and the supply space 7,but is stopped at the mouth of said space by the spring pressure contactof the valve 13 with the valve-seat 14 of the base 4. Also theair-eXit-duct 8 in said base is closed by this same contact. Now whenthe can 15 is lifted, it will by contact with the gasket valve 13 form aclose joint for itself, and at the same time will raise said valve fromits seat, the valve-sleeve 10 yielding upwardly. Communication is thussimultaneously established between the tank 1 and the interior of thecan 15 through the supply space7 and the space surrounding` the base 4,and between the interior of the can and the outer air, through theair-eXit-duct 8 and pipe 9.

Syrup now flows into the can, the air escaping through the duct andpipe. When the syrup in the can reaches and covers the inlet to theair-eXitduct 8, there will still remain in the can Linder the dish orbell of the base 4, a body of air which servesV as aVcushion'displacement in the can. The position ofthe displacement base 4in the can thus determines the volume of syrup supas previously stated,this variation has been accomplished by an adjustable extension of thebase; and my present improvement while of this nature, differs inVstructure, as I As shown in Fig; 1, the periphery of the displacementbase 4 is circumferentially grooved as indicated at 23. y

19 is an elastic cushion ring, lin practice made of rubber. It is formedon its inner face near its upper portion with a rib 19 `which enables itto be sprung onto the Pe' riphery of the base 4, with the rib 19 fittingthe groove 28. The lower portion or foot 19 of the ring projects belowthe base 4, and said depending foot portion, though its sides may beparallel as shown in Fig. 3, is best formed with a curved .inner face,as in Figs. 1 and 2, making the foot taper to a line.

lVhen this elastic cushion ring is fitted to the base 4, and the can iselevated to envelop said base, the depending foot 19 of the ring 19,meeting the outer edge or edges of the solid contents of the can,pressed outwardly to the can-wall by said contents rising into the dishor bell of the base, will not cut or injure said edges, but being pliantwill bend outwardly under pressure.

Now, in order to provide for the variation in the penetration of thedisplacement Vmember into the can and thus vary the syrup volume, I makea set of elastic pliant or cushion rings such as 19, each ring having adifferent width, so that the depending foot portions 19" of the ringsare of different lengths such as is shown in F ig. 4 in one instancewhen compared with Fig. 2; and as the foot of one ring when in placewill project farther down than that of another, it is only necessary tosubstitute one ring for another 'as predetermined by thev necessity ofthe case. This substitution is easily effected owing to the nature ofthe rings and the character of their association with the base 4. A setof rings may comprise any suitable number.

I claim z- Y l.. In a filling valve for syrupers, the combination with adisplacement member adapted to enter a can to be'filled to determine thesyrup volume supplied, of a pliant cushion member associated with therim of adapted to enter a can to be filled to determine the syrup volumesupplied, of a pliant cushion member associated with the rim of thedisplacement member and depending therefrom, and means for detachablyfitting said cushion member to the displacement member for ready removaland substitution.

3. In a filling valve for syrupers, the combination with a displacementmember adapted to enter a can to be filled to ldetermine the syrupvolume supplied, of an elastic cushion member resiliently fitted uponthe rim of the displacement member and having a pliant foot portiondepending from said rim. 1

4. In a filling valve for syrupers, the combination with a displacementmember adapted to enter a can to be filled to determine the syrup volumesupplied, of an elastic the displacement member and depending Y cushionmember resiliently iitted upon the rim of an elastic cushion memberhaving iiin of the displacement member and having on its inner face arib adapted to be rea pliant foot portion depending Jfrom said silientlyfitted in the groove of the rim of rim, said foot portion having itsinner face the displacement member, and having also 5 curved outwardlyto its lower extremity. a pliant foot portion depending from said '15 5.In a filling valve for syrupers, the rim. vcombination with adisplacement member In testimony whereof I have signed my adapted toenter a can to be illed to deternaine to this specification. mine thesyrup volume supplied, said mein- 10 bei' having a circumferentialgroove in its ALBERT R. THOMPSON.

